1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a telephone and a remote control system therefor and, more particularly, to a public or pay telephone and a remote control system therefor for remotely setting and updating control data and ID codes in the telephone using plural instruction codes.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, with pay telephones, it is required to update various kinds of information on telephone tariff rate, coin denomination and so on for all the pay telephones each time the telephone tariff rate is revised or the coin denomination is altered.
In published unexamined Japanese patent application No. 62-1352 assigned to the same assignee as the present application, there is disclosed a method for updating parameter information easily and surely. That is, the pay telephone has the following functions: 1) receiving an ID code and new parameter information transmitted over a telephone line from a central office (pay-telephone managing equipment); and 2) making a comparison between the ID code and a code inherent in the pay telephone to replace old parameter information with the new parameter information when a coincidence occurs.
Furthermore, a pay telephone needs various pieces of control data for the telephone as well as parameter information about telephone tariff rate and the like.
For example, where abnormality occurs in a pay telephone, a managing equipment in charge of the telephone is automatically dialed to be informed of the abnormality. In such a case, a dial number of the managing equipment and other control data are needed. Furthermore, a third person may find the ID code inherent in the pay telephone and alter parameter information to make unlawful telephone calls. To prevent this, the ID code has to be changed immediately.
Conventionally, such setting or changing of the control data and ID code was performed at the time of installation of the pay telephone or by opening the telephone after the installation thereof. However, problems may arise in that mistakes in setting the control data and ID code and telephone failure caused by erroneous operation are liable to occur at the time of installation of the telephone. For alteration of the ID code after the installation of the telephone, an authorized worker has to go to the place at which the telephone is installed only for that purpose. Thus, workers and cost therefor were required.